It’s crazy how much has happened since my last post here almost two years ago. Right now, I’m on Spring Break from my first year at Liberty University. Over the last few days, I’ve been scrolling through my blog…reading old posts and remembering the hours I spent hunched over a keyboard, typing all those words…

Words can never quite accurately describe what it feels like to be in the middle of a life-altering transition. I’m in the midst of one right now. But for some reason, this transition seems more significant, more daunting, than all the rest. Not only am I transitioning continents, I’m also transitioning from dependence to independence….

Nine years ago, Jesus broke my heart. God’s call for my family to move overseas shattered it. I lost the world I loved overnight. The next day, I entered a new world I didn’t know and initially didn’t like. As years passed, I slowly grew to love my new world as well as my old world….

Many people don’t understand TCK grief. TCK grief is unconventional. Rather than blatant and obvious losses, our losses can be hidden, ambiguous, and disguised. I haven’t lost a mother or father, or a sister or a brother. In many ways, my grief can never compare to the grief triggered by these major losses. But I…

Most MKs are asked hundreds of questions during their families’ home assignments. Ironically, many of us leave our passport countries feeling unknown. In all honesty, we usually don’t answer questions well. Our fumbling answers can create distance. Many times we feel as though these questions are asked politely, without time or desire to listen to…

During a recent trip to Hong Kong, I observed two vastly different worlds in less than 24 hours. On Wednesday, my family and I walked through a tunnel leading into the train station. This cool, dark tunnel was also shelter to the homeless. Damp laundry hung on handrails. Paper cups and broken chopsticks stocked a make-shift…

The clock reads 5:30 a.m. The first glimmers of dawn stretch across the dim horizon. The outside world is sleeping. Other than the occasional croak of frogs in the neighbor’s rice field, it is still and quiet. But despite this early morning hour, my home buzzes with excitement. A week of travel looms. The familiar sound of suitcases, zipped and…

As a Third Culture Kid, my two worlds (Japan and the United States) tend to conflict. As I transition between these two vastly different cultures, I frequently receive mixed social messages on how others perceive me and how I’m supposed to act. Cultural differences can be challenging to decipher for TCKs, especially if we regularly…

Reconnecting with home-country friends can be challenging. My life and the lives of my home-country friends used to be parallel. But when I moved abroad nine years ago, our lives began turning, splitting, and taking different directions. Now? Our experiences have separated us, geographically and emotionally. Our lives aren’t parallel anymore. When I visit my…

We are like vases, Broken and shattered. Our hardships leave traces Of hearts sorely battered. Our lives reveal pain And leave cracks on the surface. Do we cower in shame? Do we count ourselves worthless? The lies we believe Tell us we are unworthy. In shouts, they deceive The whispers of mercy. These cracks and…

If I told you I had a split personality, you might look at me strangely and feel a little uncomfortable. But being a TCK feels like I live a double life. I have two locations I call “home.” I have two different “lives” on two different continents. I have two sets of friends, and two…

Sometimes I think I will never be a “good” expat. You see, I love my expat world. I delight in my life overflowing with people. But after nine years of living abroad, I’ve discovered that my expat lifestyle and introverted personality conflict in more ways than I ever imagined. I’ve struggled to strike up conversations…